Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury has played through multiple eras, but has noticed a particular change in pre-season training in response to one of the AFL's most concerning issues.
The constant arm-wrestle regarding concussion and the surrounding protocols has the league posing changes to the format of off-season sessions.
Entering his 20th AFL season, Pendlebury has already detected a reduction in contact drills at the Pies, which will no doubt be implemented league-wide.
"I have found for us there's been a lot less contact, some of the drills we've taken out as well to avoid those," Pendlebury said on Friday ahead of welcomingย Ray White as a new partner.
"I don't think we've had too many knocks throughout pre-season. There's always going to be a couple here and there, but I feel like we've done a good job to minimise those."
On the eve of the 2024 campaign, Victorian state coroner John Cain put forward multiple recommendations to the AFL following the tragic passing of Richmond player Shane Tuck.
In response to Cain's suggestions, the AFL began gathering information about the necessary limit of contact training during the summer months among educational sessions.
Despite no exact amount of contact drills having been implemented by the league - such as the 14 the NFL has in place in any given training - the 37-year-old believes there's more of a focus on method and controlled situational training to ensure the protection of the player's heads at the AIA Centre.
"I think it's more the technique behind it, not just kicking footys up and telling everyone to fly from eight different directions of the pack," he added.
"It's more the technique side of the game we can work on a lot to learn to protect ourselves in those situations โ we've done a power of work out on the field and indoors to make sure we're as prepared as possible.
"The AFL is generally doing as much as they can, I feel, to protect the players and it's always going to get better and better."
